Electronic devices, and in particular portable electronic devices (e.g., portable media players and cellular telephones), often include one or more sensors for detecting characteristics of the device and its surroundings. For example, an electronic device may include one or more motion sensors, such as an accelerometer or gyroscope, for detecting the orientation and/or movement of the device. The electronic device may process the data generated by the motion sensors and may be operative to perform particular operations based on the processed motion sensor data. For example, an electronic device may process motion sensor data to determine the number of steps taken by a user carrying the device, thereby providing a pedometer application. This type of pedometer application may be utilized by the device over a long period of time in order to detect every step taken by a user, even when the user may not be actively interacting with the device. However, keeping certain device components active during utilization of such a pedometer application may consume a significant amount of the power available to the device.